The top ten video games this holiday season

Super Mario 3D Land is one of the many blockbuster games out this holiday season. Other popular gaming franchises that have new titles out include Call of Duty and Battlefield.Photo by
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Each autumn the gaming industry preps a parade of blockbuster games before the holidays begin. This is the year of third editions, with fresh releases from all the mega shooter franchises: Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Classic characters like Mario, Batman, and Zelda are back, too, along with newbies like Mater and Lightning from Cars. There are new games of every type and something for hardcore and casual gamers alike.

We searched through online stores and gaming blog buzz to curate a list of titles to gift to the gamer on your holiday shopping list. Here is our top 10.

Gears of War 3:The buzz: More people pre-ordered Gears of War 3 than any other exclusive Xbox 360 title in the history of the console. In May Microsoft and Epic Games announced over 1 million people pre-ordered the game, a full four months before its release.Story: Gears of war is a third person shooter set on an Earth-like planet. The loose goal is to destroy Locust, a type of reptilian humanoid.Console: Xbox 360 exclusiveRelease date: September 20Price: $49.95 at Amazon and $59.99 from GameStop Tip: Some gamers will buy-and-try and then sell games soon after release, so check for used games online and in stores even if the title is new.

NHL 12:The buzz: The cover of NHL 12 features Tampa Bay Lightning player (and Ontario native) Steven Stamkos. As the latest edition to the well-reviewed franchise, NHL 12 has a strong 89% rating on review aggregator GameRankings.comStory: Ice, skates, sticks, and pucks. You know the drill.Console: Playstation 3 and Xbox 360Release date: September 13Price: $59.99 at Gamestop and BestBuy Tip: On November 1 EA posted a patch for NHL 12. The update fixes small flaws in game play and includes uniforms for the re-incarnated Winnipeg Jets.

Batman: Arkham CityThe buzz: Expectations were high for Arkham City, the followup to 2009's Arkham Asylum. Arkham Asylum was a huge hit so it was no surprise when WB Interactive announced it shipped 4.6 million copies of Arkham Asylum in the first week of its release. Story: Gangs are rampant in Gotham City after the mayor releases inmates into a free reign detention center in the city's slums. Batman has to sweep in and save Catwoman when Two-Face decides it's time for her public execution. Console: Playstation 3, Windows PC, and Xbox 360. A Wii version of the game is planned for 2012.Release date: October 18Price: $59.99 new at Gamestop, but cheaper prices are available used. Only $49.99 as a digital download from Best Buy. Tip: If you're buying this as a holiday gift, check with one of the recipient's gamer friends to see if they've already bought it. With a game this hotly anticipated, it's doubtful many fans will wait to December to pick it up.

Battlefield 3:The buzz: After keeping fans waiting for six years, Battlefield 3 smashed EA's record for the fastest selling game of all time by moving 5 million copies in a single week.Story: This game is the direct follow up to 2005's Battlefield 2 but it is actually the eleventh edition to the Battlefield franchise. It is a shooter game with a focus on team strategy. Players group together for online multiplayer battles. Set in 2014, the game follows a US Marine Corps squad on the hunt for a chemical weapons site.Console: Microsoft Windows PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3Release date: October 25 Price: $59.99 at Best Buy and EB GamesTip: If you like multiplayer mode, pick up this game for PC. The console versions can host 24 players but the PC provides space for a staggering 64 soldiers.

Uncharted 3:The buzz: This is the final installment in the uber-acclaimed Uncharted trilogy. The game has such involved storylines and superior visuals that Wired decided to review it as a film, comparing it to the last Toy Story movie and the second season of The Wire.Story: Protagonist Drake is on the hunt for the lost Arabian city of Iram. Console: Playstation 3Release date: November 1Price: $59.99 at Gamestop and 61.83 on Amazon.caTip: Gamestop has a Strategy guide available for any gaming newbies looking to test out a popular game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3:The buzz: Call of Duty maker Activision will be in a shoot-off all holiday with EA over its game Battlefield 3. The two companies usually release new editions to their popular franchises at different times but this year they both went in for the Christmas kill. Story: In Modern Warfare 2 Washington was under attack. This time around terrorist Vladimir Makarov has set off conflicts in New York, Paris, and London. Console: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DSRelease date: October 8Price: $59.99 at HMV.caTip: If you are buying a shooter game as a gift this year, try to snoop around the recipient's collection of older games first to see if they prefer Call of Duty or Battlefield.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword:The buzz: Nintendo fans are hoping Skyward Sword will showcase the Wii console's potential beyond virtual bowling for casual gamers at family gatherings and staff parties. Story: The Legend of Zelda has all the makings of any epic story: romance, action, and adventure. This edition is a prequel to Zelda's Ocarina of Time in which the lead character Link discovers an underground land run by evil. Console: WiiRelease date: November 20Price: $69.99 for the Limited Edition Bundle with game disc, gold Wii Remote Plus, and Zelda music CD, $49.99 on its own at GamestopTip: Gamers will need a Wii Remote Plus to play Skyward Sword, so make sure you add one to your basket if you gift this game. The Limited Edition Bundle is also be sold with a gold Remote Plus made to look like a sword.

Cars 2:The buzz: Cars 2, the feature film, was a critical flop and many claimed it did not live up to the Pixar name. But the game is still a success with the Disney gaming set. With a built in fan base (Cars 2 took in over $190,000,000 at the box office) and a holiday season cluttered with less age appropriate shooting games, Cars 2 may be the game to buy the young gamer this year.Story: Like the film it's based on, Cars 2 follows two talking cars, Mater and Lightning McQueen. Console: PC, Nintendo DS, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and WiiRelease date: June 21Price: $39.99 at GamestopTip:Cars 2 has been out for most gaming systems since early summer, so it should be easy to pick up on the cheap by looking for a pre-owned copy.

Super Mario 3D Land:The buzz: Between social gaming and mobile phones, the days of Nintendo's hand-held dominance are done. The resurrection of the most classic character from Nintendo's stable is the company's chance to prove naysayers wrong.Story: Following a trail of letters and magic leaves, Mario is off again with sidekick Toad looking for a lost and distressed Princess Peach. Console: Nintendo 3DSRelease date: November 13Price: $39.99 at GamestopTip:All the biggest blockbuster games this year are targeted towards young adults. Mario is light on violence and a safer gift for the kids.

The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimThe buzz: The Elder Scrolls doesn't have the same brand recognition as big name gaming names like Call of Duty or Batman but it does have some geeky gamer cred. Plus, Ipsos just released a study with Elder Scrolls on top of a list for engaging knowledgeable gamers.Story: The player in the Elder Scrolls comes from a bloodline with a magical connection to dragons called the dragonborn. The game is known for being an open universe where the player can explore without having to obey a linear storyline. Console: Xbox, Playstation 3, PCRelease date: November 11Price: $49.83 at Walmart.caTip: The Elder Scrolls has less mass appeal than other big titles, so if you're gifting it make sure first it is the kind of game the recipient likes.

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